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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Stay focused and stay determined. Don't look to anyone else to be your determination - have self-determination. It will take you very far." ~ Justice Smith, Film and Television Actor
TRENDING: Vets, young receivers to battle for jobs. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Blackhawks Talk Podcast: Is Kane's new wingman, Sharp? (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: #FireGarPax Billboard to Go Up on July 19th. What's Your Take? (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Crosstown blockbuster: Cubs, White Sox make trade that sends Jose Quintana to the North Side; After Kyle Schwarber rumor, Cubs keep World Series core intact and look to make more trade-deadline moves. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
(Photo/USA TODAY)
TRENDING: Howell, Schniederjans co-lead Deere at 8 under; Fowler (67) flawless, two back at Scottish Open; Cow-clad Feng moo-ves to top of leaderboard. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Weekend schedule for NASCAR Cup, Xfinity at New Hampshire. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Fire Talk Podcast: Are the Fire the best team in MLS? (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
TRENDING: Venus Williams defies age, into Wimbledon final for 9th time. (See the Tennis section for Wimbledon Updates and Tennis News).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Vets, young receivers to battle for jobs.
By Larry Mayer
(Photo/chicagobears.com)
A diverse mix of veterans and young players at the receiver position should generate some intense competition this summer in Bourbonnais.
During the offseason the Bears added free agentsVictor Cruz , Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright to a group of holdovers that includes Cameron Meredith , Kevin White , Josh Bellamy , Deonte Thompson and Daniel Braverman .
During the offseason the Bears added free agents
Cruz is fully recovered from two serious leg injuries and is confident that he can revert to the form he showed during three productive seasons with the Giants from 2011-13.
Cruz emerged as a star in his second NFL season in 2011, helping the Giants win the Super Bowl by catching 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. He followed with 86 receptions for 1,092 yards and 10 TDs in 2012 and 73 catches for 998 yards and four TDs in 2013.
But Cruz's career was derailed six games into the 2014 season when he tore the patellar tendon in his right knee against the Eagles. He seemed to be on the road to recovery nearly a year later but suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for the entire 2015 campaign.
Cruz returned last year, appearing in 15 games with 12 starts and catching 39 passes for 586 yards and one touchdown. In the opener—his first regular-season game in 700 days—he caught a 3-yard TD pass from Eli Manning that lifted the Giants to a 20-19 win over the Cowboys.
Wheaton is in a similar situation. Playing for the Steelers, the speedy wideout caught 53 passes for 644 yards and two TDs in 2014 and 44 passes for 749 yards and five TDs in 2015. But a torn labrum he sustained last preseason limited him to just three games and eventually led to surgery in early December.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace has tracked Wheaton since even before he was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2013 draft out of Oregon State.
“I really like his makeup and his toughness going all the way back to Oregon State,” Pace said. “He’s a guy who can really run and gives us that element in our offense that I think that we need—speed.”
Wright played the best football of his NFL career under Dowell Loggains with the Titans and is excited about reuniting with the offensive coordinator in Chicago.
Wright was selected by Tennessee in the first round of the 2012 draft and excelled in his first two seasons with Loggains as his coordinator, catching 64 passes for 626 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie and 94 passes for 1,079 yards and two TDs in 2013.
“With Dowell, when he was there, he obviously let me play,” Wright said after signing with the Bears in March. “I was on the field. Actually I wasn't getting 10, 15 plays a game. He didn’t put any limitations on my game. He didn’t tell me to just play slot. He let me play whatever I wanted to play, whatever position. The more you can do with him, the better you’ll be.”
The Bears are hoping that White is finally able to stay healthy after missing 28 of 32 games in his first two seasons. Selected with the seventh pick in the 2015 draft, White sat out his entire rookie season with a stress fracture in his left leg and then broke his fibula in the same leg in the fourth game last year, eventually undergoing surgery for the second straight year.
“It’s got to happen now,” White said during the offseason. “I've got to turn it up. Even in Year 1, Year 2, I always wanted to turn it up and show what I could do, so to me, in Year 3, it’s time.”
White has shown promise when healthy; his 19 receptions last season were the most ever by a Bears player in his first four NFL games. The key as he enters his third year, of course, is for the 6-3, 215-pounder to stay on the field and out of the training room.
The Bears also have high expectations for Meredith, a converted college quarterback who enjoyed a breakout 2016 season but still hasn’t reached his ceiling.
After catching 11 passes for 120 yards in 11 games as an undrafted rookie from Illinois State in 2015, Meredith led the Bears with 66 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns last year.
"Cam just has a great attitude right now," Pace said during the offseason. "He's getting better. I just love his skill set, love his professionalism and I think we're going to see him ascend."
3 burning questions for the cornerbacks.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
1. What will two new vets bring to the defense?
When Stephon Gilmore and A.J. Bouye’s price tags skyrocketed, Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper were signed to one- and three-year contracts, respectively, then Tracy Porter was released. Pro Football Focus ranked Cooper 113th out of 120 qualified cornerbacks in coverage last year, though he did pick off four passes. Amukamara had sort of the opposite season of Cooper last year, not intercepting a pass but providing steady coverage. Neither player is likely to be a permanent fix at cornerback, but for a defense with a relatively heavy veteran presence, each fit the Bears’ plans for 2017.
“(Amukamara)’s just kind of that veteran, savvy consistent pro, and sometimes there is a lot of hidden production from him because he’s got his guy covered and they just don’t throw at him,” general manager Ryan Pace said back in March. “… Cooper is a raw player that I think is still ascending. He didn’t play corner until late in college and when you watch him each year he’s gotten better and better the more he’s gotten opportunities. He has really natural ball skills. It’s very easy for him to make a play on the ball.”
2. Can Kyle Fuller hit the reset button in his last shot with the Bears?
Ryan Pace confirmed back in April that the Bears will not pick up the fifth-year option on Fuller, who so far looks like a big swing and a miss by the Phil Emery regime. Fuller missed the entire 2016 season with a knee injury and isn’t a safe bet to be on the Bears’ opening day roster, though defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said back in May he’ll be given an opportunity to be part of a “competition.” Still, the start of the 2014 season — when Fuller had three interceptions in his first three games — is well in the past.
3. Will the Bears regret not dipping into an ostensibly deep draft pool of cornerbacks?
This is a question that won’t be answered for a few years and is partly contingent on the development of both Mitch Trubisky and Adam Shaheen. But it’s an interesting one to consider, given how strong this year’s class of college cornerbacks was (PFF analyzed it as being “the strongest in the past decade”). Eighteen cornerbacks were drafted in the first three rounds, 11 of whom came after the Bears drafted Shaheen with the 45th pick. But Pace stuck to taking the best player available on the Bears’ draft board, which meant snagging four offensive players with the team’s five picks.
“I think it’d be difficult for us to say, man, we got a man graded this high, but ah man we really need defense, let’s step down here and take this player,” Pace said. “I think we’d regret that decision.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks Talk Podcast: Is Kane's new wingman, Sharp?
By CSN Staff
(Photo/AP)
On the latest edition of the Hawks Talk Podcast, Pat Boyle, Tracey Myers and Charlie Roumeliotis discuss where Patrick Sharp factors into the Blackhawks' plans, and project the rest of the team's line combinations and defensive pairings for the upcoming 2017-18 campaign.
They also weigh in on how the Blackhawks may utilize Marian Hossa's cap space during the season, and which positions they could look to strengthen as the year progresses.
Listen to the latest episode of the Hawks Talk Podcast Here.
Blackhawks announce 2017 preseason broadcast schedule.
By Chicago Blackhawks Media Relations / chicagoblackhawks.com
(Photo/chicagoblackhawks.com)
In conjunction with official television broadcasting partners CSN Chicago and WGN-TV Channel 9, the Chicago Blackhawks today announced its 2017 preseason broadcast schedule.
All six of Chicago's preseason contests will be carried on television for the third straight year. One Blackhawks preseason game will be broadcast on CSN Chicago (September 30 vs. Boston), in addition to three games (September 19 at Columbus, September 23 vs. Columbus and September 28 at Detroit) on CSN Plus and two contests on WGN-TV (September 21 vs. Detroit and September 25 at Boston). All CSN games can also be streamed live online at CSNChicago.com and the NBC Sports App.
WGN Radio AM-720 will air all six of the team's preseason tilts. The preseason matchups can be also heard on wgnradio.com/listen or on mobile devices. For more information log on to wgnradio.com/mobile.
Ticket information for the 2017 preseason will be announced at a later date.
2017 Preseason Broadcast Schedule
Date Opp Location Time (CT) TV Radio
| 9/19 | CBJ | Nationwide Arena | 6 p.m. | CSN+ | WGN Radio |
| 9/21 | DET | United Center | 7:30 p.m. | WGN | WGN Radio |
| 9/23 | CBJ | United Center | 7:30 p.m. | CSN+ | WGN Radio |
| 9/25 | BOS | TD Garden | 6 p.m. | WGN | WGN Radio |
| 9/28 | DET | Little Caesars Arena | 6:30 p.m. | CSN+ | WGN Radio |
| 9/30 | BOS | United Center | 7:30 p.m. | CSN | WGN Radio |
Note: Home games highlighted
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... #FireGarPax Billboard to Go Up on July 19th. What's Your Take?
By Easy Eis
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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Two weeks ago, Chicago Bulls fan Brendon Henderson of Granger, IN started a gofundme campaign to raise money for a billboard in Chicago that would promote the idea of firing Bulls front office executives Gar Forman and John Paxson. It started out as a call to action from the Chicago Bulls subreddit in response to the Jimmy Butler trade, and it quickly garnered a lot of attention from several major media outlets including Uproxx, the Chicago Sun-Times, and even Sports Illustrated.
Henderson announced yesterday that he had come to terms with local outdoor advertising agency View Chicago to put up the #FireGarPax billboard in the West Loop on the corner of Lake & Racine starting on Wednesday, July 19th:
Henderson announced yesterday that he had come to terms with local outdoor advertising agency View Chicago to put up the #FireGarPax billboard in the West Loop on the corner of Lake & Racine starting on Wednesday, July 19th:
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(Photo/View Chicago, LLC Outdoor Advertising)
Lake & Racine appears to be a pretty effective location given the amount of both foot and automobile traffic in the area on top of its proximity to the United Center.
In terms of a response from the front office, Bulls senior advisor Scottie Pippen made an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump last week and was quick to admonish the actions of the fans, labeling them as “wrong”:
The campaign raised well over US $8,000.00, with individual donations reaching as high as US $150.00. Several donations came from within city limits, but many arrived from Bulls fans across the United States and even traveled from places such as Canada, Croatia, and Australia.
No word yet on the design of the billboard itself, but Henderson has asked local fans to take as many pictures as possible and to put them up on social media when the billboard goes live in a little under two weeks. Henderson also stated that the leftover money from the fundraising effort would go towards a purchase of a digital billboard that will also tout the firing of GarPax during the Bulls’ first home game later this year.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Our position is well known as we have been discussing this issue since last year. We love and are committed fans of the Chicago Bulls and nothing will ever change that. Our frustration and problem is the front office; they can't seem to take the team to the next level. They've drafted some decent talent in the past as evidenced by seven trips to the playoffs in the last eight years. However, the fans deserve more than trips to the playoffs, we want to win a championship. Coach Thibodeau got the Bulls to the playoffs six times with one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. There seems to have been a problem between he and the front office. They fired his closest assistant coach and the team went downhill from there. The front office needs to set policy, contract players, hire coaches in conjunction with the head coach's approval and let the head coach do his job. The head coach develops and position the players to win. Just because the front office contracts a player, if the head coach doesn't think he's ready to play, that's the head coach's decision. That's what you hired him for. If you don't agree, then terminate the head coach on philosophical differences. It is not the front office's job to say who plays and who doesn't if the player is not ready. If the front office wants to coach, then coach but when you interfere with a head coach's growth plan, it causes dissention on the team between the front office, coaches and players. Attitudes change and moral reaches an all time-low. That's was has happened to the Bulls.
Now we start with another rebuilding program. What's the game plan? Is it a three, four or five year plan? What's our target date for winning a championship? The fans love their beloved Bulls but frustration is creeping in big time. And now you know why the fans want Gar/Pax canned. It's not personal; all of the fans I've spoken to love John Paxson. He is an integral part of the first three-peat, however, this is not personal, it's business. How many of you would keep your jobs if you didn't improve, produce and perform better each year? And yes, we know it's a tough job, but if other teams can do it, why can't we? We're Chicago, we aren't followers, we're leaders, (at least we used to be). The status quo is not acceptable, improvement is most definitely needed and we just don't see it, especially as evidenced by the current NBA Summer League performance. Throw the fans a bone and give them some hope. We're at the bottom right now and the only way to go is up. I just hope the ownership and front office realizes this. if they don't, it could get ugly. One last observation, some good veteran leadership is needed to mix in and help guide the young talent that the Bulls are acquiring.
Again, our position is so noted. We're going to see how the fans feel and what their take is. Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let us know, what's your take? As always, thanks in advance for taking the time to read our thoughts and we appreciate your time and consideration in sharing your position(s) with us.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
CUBS: Crosstown blockbuster: Cubs, White Sox make trade that sends Jose Quintana to the North Side.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Jose Quintana is heading to the North Side.
In a shocking blockbuster trade between the two Chicago baseball teams, White Sox ace Jose Quintana was dealt to the Cubs in exchange for four prospects, headlined by the organization's two top prospects Eloy Jimenez, an outfielder, and Dylan Cease, a right-handed pitcher.
Quintana has been rumored to be traded since the offseason, when the White Sox kickstarted their rebuild by trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. Those two deals netted huge return packages, and Thursday's trade of Quintana did the same.
Quintana provides the Cubs with a big boost in the starting rotation, which has struggled after being so incredibly good during last season's World Series run. Quintana was a 2016 All Star and was one of the American League's top pitchers in recent years. This season, his numbers are down a bit. He has a 4.49 ERA in 18 starts after posting a career-best 3.20 mark in 2016.
Jimenez and Cease — as well as other acquisitions in this deal, first baseman Matt Rose and infielder Bryant Flete — accomplished White Sox general manager Rick Hahn's goal of replenishing the farm system by trading one of his team's top assets.
This is a deal that helps keep the Cubs in the National League Central race. The North Siders are 5.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers and need a shot in the arm after a first half in which they hovered around .500.
Theo delivers again as Cubs get huge boost in shocking Jose Quintana trade with White Sox.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Cubs president Theo Epstein didn't hide his frustrations with an underachieving team hovering around .500, subtly calling out manager Joe Maddon in on-the-record group interviews, saying how the clubhouse didn't play with enough edge and the answers would realistically have to come from the 25 guys already in the room.
But "The World's Greatest Leader" — Fortune magazine's call — doesn't view things in absolutes. Epstein is always thinking three-dimensionally, analyzing the situation from 30,000 feet and never ruling anything out. Even when it looked like the organization-wide Cubbie envy would stop the White Sox from dealing one of their success stories to the North Side.
In a season where Epstein had already tried so many different forms of shock therapy with the defending World Series champs, the Cubs acquired Jose Quintana in Thursday's stunning crosstown trade with the White Sox, trying to jumpstart a 43-45 team out of the All-Star break while still building their rotation for the future.
This is the price for a frontline starter, even one with a career losing record (50-54) and a 4.49 ERA this season: stud outfielder Eloy Jimenez; 100-mph right-hander Dylan Cease; plus Class-A infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.
But all those prospects are years away from Wrigley Field, if they ever make it at all. Even Jimenez, a blue-chip talent with the size, approach and right-handed swing that reminded the Cubs of a young Kris Bryant, hadn't made it to the Double-A level yet.
Quintana alone won't fix the Cubs. It's not like he will help them hit with runners in scoring position or tighten up the defense or heal all the nagging injuries that have contributed to the win-one, lose-one inconsistencies.
This does jolt the clubhouse, change the vibe around the team and give the 2017 Cubs an All-Star level pitcher for 14-ish starts.
This is also insurance against Jake Arrieta and John Lackey leaving after this season. The Cubs dreaded the idea of having to replace at least 40 percent of their rotation this winter, knowing agents and other teams would sense the desperation.
As an added bonus, the Cubs will keep Quintana away from the Milwaukee Brewers, the first-place team they trail by 5.5 games in a National League Central race that just got a lot more interesting.
Ultimately, this is still a play for the future, with Quintana under club control through 2020 and the Cubs betting on his medical outlook and sturdy, reliable performance (at least 32 starts and 200 innings in each of the last four seasons).
Jimenez and Cease might become stars on the South Side as the White Sox methodically undergo a full-scale rebuild. But the Cubs are dealing from a surplus of position players and operating under the belief that young pitching goes poof.
The Cubs used money saved from Kyle Schwarber's below-slot deal in the 2014 draft to give Cease a seven-figure bonus and supervise his recovery from Tommy John surgery, hoping the volume/risk-management approach would yield some trade chips and/or the homegrown starting pitcher that has eluded the Epstein administration.
It's the same playbook the Cubs used in last summer's blockbuster "If not now, when?" trade with the New York Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. And the winter-meetings deal with the Kansas City Royals for All-Star closer Wade Davis. Except Quintana is viewed as a long-term building block for the next great team in Wrigleyville, not a mercenary or a one-year guarantee.
The rush of adrenaline will eventually wear off after Quintana's arrival, and the Cubs will find out if those answers really will come from within and when this World Series hangover will finally end.
After Kyle Schwarber rumor, Cubs keep World Series core intact and look to make more trade-deadline moves.
By Patrick Mooney
The real blockbuster deal – or the panic-button move that completely rethinks The Plan – would have looked something like the All-Star week rumor floated by Jim Bowden, the SiriusXM analyst and former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals general manager: Kyle Schwarber to the Detroit Tigers for a young pitcher like Michael Fulmer or Daniel Norris.
“We’ve been consistent all along that we don’t have any untouchables,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said during Thursday’s conference call announcing the Quintana deal. “But I think you can read into today’s move just how much faith that we have in this group of guys.
“We own the fact that we had a bad first half. But I think it’s important not to overreact to that. It’s important to take a step back and realize where you are.”
Schwarber’s meteoric rise and sudden fall mirrored the trajectory of a 43-45 team that will regroup on Friday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. After a recent detour to Triple-A Iowa, the Cubs hope Schwarber’s left-handed power and infectious personality will have the same effect it did in 2015, when he made his big-league debut and a 97-win team caught fire.
But that is based more on faith and history than what the Cubs have actually seen so far this season as Schwarber started pressing, lost confidence and spiraled into a .178 hitter.
“We are in the early stages, we hope, of a long run with this group of guys that we believe in,” Epstein said. “This group has won one World Series. And our goal is to win more. We needed to – and need to – add starting pitching in order to make that happen.
“So you can read into the fact that this trade was made without touching significant pieces from the major-league team, without touching the major-league team at all. And that’s certainly our preference. Because despite the bad first half – which we’re accountable for – we believe in this group.
“We’re certainly not looking to sell low on members of our core. And we hope, in fact, to keep it intact, if possible, and win more World Series with this group.”
It will be hard for the Cubs to make another huge trade before the July 31 deadline if those core players are off-limits and an already depleted farm system is weakened with four prospects – headlined by outfielder Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease – going to the White Sox.
But the Cubs just bought themselves some time and created more flexibility, with Quintana under club control through 2020 for about $34 million. The Cubs could add a defense-first veteran to back up young catcher Willson Contreras, or strengthen a strength by getting another reliever to work in front of All-Star closer Wade Davis, or somehow try to make another jaw-dropping trade that closes the 5.5-game gap on the Milwaukee Brewers.
“This deal gives us a chance to step back,” Epstein said, “and survey the rest of the market and see if there are other things that make sense for us to do. A lot of it will depend on how we play. We need to play well coming out of the gates here. We’ll assess what we’re trying to do, in large part, based on how we play and where we are in the standings and how realistic we think a World Series run is this year.
“Everything is still on the table for this year. I do like what this trade has a chance to do for us in 2017, but the primary factor was really what it does for our four-plus-year window that we’re looking at here going forward.”
WHITE SOX: Like with Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, White Sox get another massive haul for Jose Quintana.
But "The World's Greatest Leader" — Fortune magazine's call — doesn't view things in absolutes. Epstein is always thinking three-dimensionally, analyzing the situation from 30,000 feet and never ruling anything out. Even when it looked like the organization-wide Cubbie envy would stop the White Sox from dealing one of their success stories to the North Side.
In a season where Epstein had already tried so many different forms of shock therapy with the defending World Series champs, the Cubs acquired Jose Quintana in Thursday's stunning crosstown trade with the White Sox, trying to jumpstart a 43-45 team out of the All-Star break while still building their rotation for the future.
This is the price for a frontline starter, even one with a career losing record (50-54) and a 4.49 ERA this season: stud outfielder Eloy Jimenez; 100-mph right-hander Dylan Cease; plus Class-A infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.
But all those prospects are years away from Wrigley Field, if they ever make it at all. Even Jimenez, a blue-chip talent with the size, approach and right-handed swing that reminded the Cubs of a young Kris Bryant, hadn't made it to the Double-A level yet.
Quintana alone won't fix the Cubs. It's not like he will help them hit with runners in scoring position or tighten up the defense or heal all the nagging injuries that have contributed to the win-one, lose-one inconsistencies.
This does jolt the clubhouse, change the vibe around the team and give the 2017 Cubs an All-Star level pitcher for 14-ish starts.
This is also insurance against Jake Arrieta and John Lackey leaving after this season. The Cubs dreaded the idea of having to replace at least 40 percent of their rotation this winter, knowing agents and other teams would sense the desperation.
As an added bonus, the Cubs will keep Quintana away from the Milwaukee Brewers, the first-place team they trail by 5.5 games in a National League Central race that just got a lot more interesting.
Ultimately, this is still a play for the future, with Quintana under club control through 2020 and the Cubs betting on his medical outlook and sturdy, reliable performance (at least 32 starts and 200 innings in each of the last four seasons).
Jimenez and Cease might become stars on the South Side as the White Sox methodically undergo a full-scale rebuild. But the Cubs are dealing from a surplus of position players and operating under the belief that young pitching goes poof.
The Cubs used money saved from Kyle Schwarber's below-slot deal in the 2014 draft to give Cease a seven-figure bonus and supervise his recovery from Tommy John surgery, hoping the volume/risk-management approach would yield some trade chips and/or the homegrown starting pitcher that has eluded the Epstein administration.
It's the same playbook the Cubs used in last summer's blockbuster "If not now, when?" trade with the New York Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. And the winter-meetings deal with the Kansas City Royals for All-Star closer Wade Davis. Except Quintana is viewed as a long-term building block for the next great team in Wrigleyville, not a mercenary or a one-year guarantee.
The rush of adrenaline will eventually wear off after Quintana's arrival, and the Cubs will find out if those answers really will come from within and when this World Series hangover will finally end.
After Kyle Schwarber rumor, Cubs keep World Series core intact and look to make more trade-deadline moves.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Jose Quintana trade shocked the baseball world, but it made perfect baseball sense for the Cubs and White Sox, once both sides got past the perception issues and business-side rivalries and realized how much they could help each other right now.
“We’ve been consistent all along that we don’t have any untouchables,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said during Thursday’s conference call announcing the Quintana deal. “But I think you can read into today’s move just how much faith that we have in this group of guys.
“We own the fact that we had a bad first half. But I think it’s important not to overreact to that. It’s important to take a step back and realize where you are.”
Schwarber’s meteoric rise and sudden fall mirrored the trajectory of a 43-45 team that will regroup on Friday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. After a recent detour to Triple-A Iowa, the Cubs hope Schwarber’s left-handed power and infectious personality will have the same effect it did in 2015, when he made his big-league debut and a 97-win team caught fire.
But that is based more on faith and history than what the Cubs have actually seen so far this season as Schwarber started pressing, lost confidence and spiraled into a .178 hitter.
“We are in the early stages, we hope, of a long run with this group of guys that we believe in,” Epstein said. “This group has won one World Series. And our goal is to win more. We needed to – and need to – add starting pitching in order to make that happen.
“So you can read into the fact that this trade was made without touching significant pieces from the major-league team, without touching the major-league team at all. And that’s certainly our preference. Because despite the bad first half – which we’re accountable for – we believe in this group.
“We’re certainly not looking to sell low on members of our core. And we hope, in fact, to keep it intact, if possible, and win more World Series with this group.”
It will be hard for the Cubs to make another huge trade before the July 31 deadline if those core players are off-limits and an already depleted farm system is weakened with four prospects – headlined by outfielder Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease – going to the White Sox.
But the Cubs just bought themselves some time and created more flexibility, with Quintana under club control through 2020 for about $34 million. The Cubs could add a defense-first veteran to back up young catcher Willson Contreras, or strengthen a strength by getting another reliever to work in front of All-Star closer Wade Davis, or somehow try to make another jaw-dropping trade that closes the 5.5-game gap on the Milwaukee Brewers.
“This deal gives us a chance to step back,” Epstein said, “and survey the rest of the market and see if there are other things that make sense for us to do. A lot of it will depend on how we play. We need to play well coming out of the gates here. We’ll assess what we’re trying to do, in large part, based on how we play and where we are in the standings and how realistic we think a World Series run is this year.
“Everything is still on the table for this year. I do like what this trade has a chance to do for us in 2017, but the primary factor was really what it does for our four-plus-year window that we’re looking at here going forward.”
WHITE SOX: Like with Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, White Sox get another massive haul for Jose Quintana.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
He’s no longer a member of the White Sox, but Jose Quintana isn’t moving far away.
The White Sox traded their dependable, cost-controlled starting pitcher to the Cubs on Thursday morning in exchange for four prospects, including highly touted outfielder Eloy Jimenez. Jimenez is the No. 5-rated prospect in baseball, according to BaseballAmerica.com, and No. 8 overall, according to MLBPipeline.com.
The White Sox also acquired pitcher Dylan Cease, who is ranked 63rd by MLBPipeline and 80th by Baseball America, as well as infielders Matt Rose and Bryan Flete.
“In Eloy, we are acquiring a player who, similar to (Yoan) Moncada, is viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball today with the potential for major impact in the not too distant future,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “Dylan brings us an impressive young pitcher who is ranked among the top pitching prospects in the game.”
Rumored to be on the block since December, the White Sox gambled that by hanging onto Quintana they could reel in another massive haul similar to the ones they did with the trades of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. Those trades all netted a number of top prospects that helped revamp the White Sox farm system overnight. The club appears to have done so yet again with the acquisition of Jimenez, who earlier this week appeared at the All-Star Futures Game for a second straight season.
But the move comes at the cost of the ever-dependable Quintana, who was a stalwart in the team’s rotation since his arrival in 2012. Though Quintana struggled over the season’s first two months, he’s bounced back stating in June. Quintana posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out 45 batters in 40 innings in his last seven starts.
That rebound might have helped Quintana’s marketability as the Cubs were willing to part with Jimenez, who previously was believed to be untouchable. Jimenez, who currently plays at Class-A Myrtle Beach, is hitting .271/.351/.490 this season with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 174 plate appearances.
“Might be a monster,” one American League scout said. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up better than Moncada.”
One AL scout thinks new White Sox prospect Eloy Jimenez 'might be a monster,' maybe better than Yoan Moncada.
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
White Sox fans have a new prospect to salivate over as the rebuild got another huge jolt Thursday.
The White Sox sent Jose Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for a four-prospect package headlined by outfielder Eloy Jimenez, ranked as high as the No. 5 prospect in the game by some publications.
Even though Yoan Moncada is rated as high as baseball's top prospect, Jimenez is getting rave reviews, with one scout saying Jimenez might end up being the best of the White Sox current highly-rated crop.
“Might be a monster,” one American League scout told CSN White Sox Insider Dan Hayes. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up better than Moncada.”
Well OK then.
Here's a look at where the White Sox minor leaguers rank in MLB Pipeline's rankings:
1. Moncada
8. Jimenez
11. Michael Kopech
23. Luis Robert
28. Lucas Giolito
36. Reynaldo Lopez
59. Carson Fulmer
63. Dylan Cease, also acquired in Thursday's trade
68. Zack Collins
Cubs-White Sox Trade Update: White Sox Talk Podcast: Jose Quintana traded to Cubs.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It happened. It really happened. The White Sox traded Jose Quintana to the Cubs.
The White Sox got a big haul in return. Outfielder Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease are the headliners coming back to the White Sox. How big of a trade is this?
What does it mean for the White Sox? And what transpired behind the scenes with Rick Hahn and Theo Epstein to make the deal happen? CSN's Chuck Garfien, Dan Hayes and Ryan McGuffey break it all down.
Later, they're joined by Jesse Rogers from ESPN-Chicago.com with insight about Jimenez and Cease, why the Cubs needed to make the trade, etc.
Plus, will Reynaldo Lopez be called up to take Quintana's place in the rotation and which of the Sale/Eaton/Quintana trades will end up being the best?
That, and a whole lot more in this earth-shattering day in Chicago baseball on the White Sox Talk Podcast.
Listen to the latest White Sox Talk Podcast right here.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Howell, Schniederjans co-lead Deere at 8 under.
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Charles Howell III and Ollie Schniederjans each shot 8-under 63 in perfect conditions Thursday to share the first-round lead in the John Deere Classic.
Howell birdied seven his first nine holes and added a birdie on No. 7 at rain-softened TPC Deere Run. The two-time PGA Tour winner lost a playoff to Kyle Stanley two weeks ago in the Quicken Loans National.
Schniederjans birdied five of his last eight holes in his lowest round of the PGA Tour. He earned a PGA Tour card last year through the Web.com Tour.
Local favorite Zach Johnson was two strokes back at 65 along with Rory Sabbatini, Patrick Rodgers and Chad Campbell. Johnson, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, won the 2012 tournament.
Bubba Watson, the two-time Masters winner making his first Quad Cities start in seven years, opened with a 69. Fifty-year-old Steve Stricker, the winner from 2009-11 at Deere Run, had a 73.
Defending champion Ryan Moore had a 74 in his return from strained tendon in his left shoulder that sidelined him for five weeks.
The British Open is holding one spot for the leading player among the top five who is not already exempt next week at Royal Birkdale.
Fowler (67) flawless, two back at Scottish Open.
By Will Gray
Bubba Watson, the two-time Masters winner making his first Quad Cities start in seven years, opened with a 69. Fifty-year-old Steve Stricker, the winner from 2009-11 at Deere Run, had a 73.
Defending champion Ryan Moore had a 74 in his return from strained tendon in his left shoulder that sidelined him for five weeks.
The British Open is holding one spot for the leading player among the top five who is not already exempt next week at Royal Birkdale.
Fowler (67) flawless, two back at Scottish Open.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Returning two years after his Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open victory at Gullane, Rickie Fowler picked up right where he left off.
Fowler barely broke a sweat during an opening-round 67, making his way around Dundonald without dropping a shot to share the early lead at 5 under alongside Ian Poulter, Andrew Dodt and Callum Shinkwin. Mikko Illonen finished the day in front with a 7-under 65.
Fowler started on the back nine and reached red figures with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14. He added three more in a row on Nos. 3-5, a stretch he surrounded with pars as he again showed how his game can often thrive in a links setting.
"I just love hitting the shots and kind of picking my way around the golf course," Fowler said. "You don't exactly have to be swinging perfect to play well around links. I mean, it does help if you are swinging well, but you can manufacture shots and just work your way around, kind of pick your way around the golf course and hit it to certain spots. The biggest thing being avoiding the bunkers, because it's a lot more of a penalty over here."
Fowler managed to avoid nearly all of the trouble offered in the opening round, and it continues the high level of form with which he has competed for much of the year. Highlighted by a win at the Honda Classic in February, Fowler has finished T-16 or better in nine of his last 11 starts including near-misses at both the Masters and U.S. Open. With a trip to Royal Birkdale looming, he's not exactly lacking confidence as he looks to improve upon his runner-up finish three years ago at Royal Liverpool.
"It's definitely around its highest (level)," Fowler said. "Right now, with how consistent it's been, to have been in contention and have a chance on a Sunday in both majors, with a win and some good finishes outside of that, it's been a fun year. So I'm looking forward to this big stretch through the summer."
Cow-clad Feng moo-ves to top of leaderboard.
By Randall Mell
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Shanshan Feng separated herself in more ways than one Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open.
First, there was her score.
A 6-under-par 66 moved her to the top of the leaderboard at Trump National Golf Club, a shot ahead of Amy Yang through the morning wave.
And then there were Feng’s spotted-cow print shorts and matching shirt sleeves.
They’re the newest ensemble in her spotted-cow print collection specially made for her by Pro Simon, a Taiwanese company.
“The cow outfit has become one of my signatures, so when I'm wearing the cow pants, people recognize me more,” Feng said. “I think that's good, to bring out your personality. And also tell people what the difference is between you and the other players.”
Her spotted-cow print pants were a huge hit in England when Feng wore them at the Ricoh Women’s British Open last year.
“I like wearing the cow pants, because I stand out on the course, and people can spot me from, like, really far away,” Feng said.
Feng was asked if her scoring average is better when she’s decked out in her spotted-cow attire.
“Somebody has to calculate that,” Feng said. “Maybe, because more people are supporting me with the cow pants, so maybe that makes me feel more excited and maybe play better.
Feng, China’s first major champion and Olympic medalist in golf, was at her charming best Thursday after taking the early lead. She typically manages to make reporters laugh when she makes a media center appearance.
When Feng met China’s president in an official governmental reception for Olympic medal winners last year, she created a stir flirting with her country’s president.
When President Xi Jinping greeted Feng, she told him he was handsome.
“He was shocked,” Feng said about it later. “And then he shook my hand one more time.”
Gary Gilchrist, Feng’s swing coach, said Feng’s swing is among the most dependable in the game. She prefers a straight ball as her stock ball flight, over a draw or fade.
“Her swing is very, very consistent,” Feng said. “She doesn’t put too much spin on the ball. Her fundamentals really don’t change. They are there. It’s like a Rolls-Royce. The great thing about a Rolls-Royce is that it starts every time. It’s dependable.
“And the thing is, when she’s off, people get so concerned, but she doesn’t even worry about it. She knows, `That’s the game.’ She understands. She looks at people and tells them, `You are out of your mind if you think you are going to play great every week.’”
Gilchrist said another advantage Feng enjoys is that she doesn’t have to practice a lot to keep her swing in shape. In fact, he says she rarely ever practices after a round, and it helps keep her game fresh.
While a lot of players took off last week, following the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Feng flew to China to play the Kumho Tires Ladies Open.
“It was my sponsor's tournament, and I felt like it was my responsibility,” Feng said. “And I really wanted to see my family and all my friends back home.”
The reward for going proved greater than Feng expected.
“It was such a warmup for this week, because that course was so narrow,” she said. “I had to hit my drivers and my irons really, really straight. That was one of the keys why I actually played well today, because I left myself birdie chances on most of the holes. I feel great.”
The Open TV Schedule: Watch Live on Golf Channel & NBC.
By Golf Channel Digital
Golf Central’s Live From The Open will be onsite throughout the week with news updates and analysis from Royal Birkdale. Morning Drive (‘Midnight Drive’) will kick things off at midnight ET before The Open’s first round to lead into live coverage of the opening tee shot.
Live tournament coverage will air on Golf Channel over each of the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, and across Golf Channel and NBC during the third and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday. Live streaming will also be available for the duration of the tournament and in addition The R&A is offering complimentary livestreams featuring Marquee Groups (featured pairings), Featured Holes (11, 12, 13) and Spotlight (covering highlights and expert commentary).
Join in on the social media conversation by following Golf Channel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and using hashtag #TheOpen
The Open: Golf Channel & NBC Programming Schedule (all times ET)
Monday, July 17 Golf Central Live From The Open 9-11am
When Feng met China’s president in an official governmental reception for Olympic medal winners last year, she created a stir flirting with her country’s president.
When President Xi Jinping greeted Feng, she told him he was handsome.
“He was shocked,” Feng said about it later. “And then he shook my hand one more time.”
Gary Gilchrist, Feng’s swing coach, said Feng’s swing is among the most dependable in the game. She prefers a straight ball as her stock ball flight, over a draw or fade.
“Her swing is very, very consistent,” Feng said. “She doesn’t put too much spin on the ball. Her fundamentals really don’t change. They are there. It’s like a Rolls-Royce. The great thing about a Rolls-Royce is that it starts every time. It’s dependable.
“And the thing is, when she’s off, people get so concerned, but she doesn’t even worry about it. She knows, `That’s the game.’ She understands. She looks at people and tells them, `You are out of your mind if you think you are going to play great every week.’”
Gilchrist said another advantage Feng enjoys is that she doesn’t have to practice a lot to keep her swing in shape. In fact, he says she rarely ever practices after a round, and it helps keep her game fresh.
While a lot of players took off last week, following the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Feng flew to China to play the Kumho Tires Ladies Open.
“It was my sponsor's tournament, and I felt like it was my responsibility,” Feng said. “And I really wanted to see my family and all my friends back home.”
The reward for going proved greater than Feng expected.
“It was such a warmup for this week, because that course was so narrow,” she said. “I had to hit my drivers and my irons really, really straight. That was one of the keys why I actually played well today, because I left myself birdie chances on most of the holes. I feel great.”
The Open TV Schedule: Watch Live on Golf Channel & NBC.
By Golf Channel Digital
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The Open week begins Monday with Golf Central Live From The Open kicking off The 146th Open from Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England, with nearly 140 hours of live tournament and news coverage throughout the week.
Golf Central’s Live From The Open will be onsite throughout the week with news updates and analysis from Royal Birkdale. Morning Drive (‘Midnight Drive’) will kick things off at midnight ET before The Open’s first round to lead into live coverage of the opening tee shot.
Live tournament coverage will air on Golf Channel over each of the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, and across Golf Channel and NBC during the third and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday. Live streaming will also be available for the duration of the tournament and in addition The R&A is offering complimentary livestreams featuring Marquee Groups (featured pairings), Featured Holes (11, 12, 13) and Spotlight (covering highlights and expert commentary).
Join in on the social media conversation by following Golf Channel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and using hashtag #TheOpen
The Open: Golf Channel & NBC Programming Schedule (all times ET)
Monday, July 17 Golf Central Live From The Open 9-11am
Golf Central Live From The Open 7-9pm
Tuesday, July 18 Golf Central Live From The Open 6am-10am
Golf Central Live From The Open 12-2pm
Summer of ’76 9-10pm
Wednesday, July 19 Golf Central Live From The Open 6am-10am
Golf Central Live From The Open 12-2pm
Morning Drive 12pm-1:30am
Thursday, July 20 The 146TH Open – Round 1 1:30am-4pm
Golf Central Live From The Open 4-5pm
Friday, July 21 The 146TH Open – Round 2 1:30am-4pm
Golf Central Live From The Open 4-5pm
Saturday, July 22 The 146TH Open – Round 3 4:30-7am
The 146TH Open – Round 3 – NBC 7am-3pm
Golf Central Live From The Open 3-4pm
Sunday, July 23 The 146TH Open – Final Round 4-7am
The 146TH Open – Final Round – NBC 7am-2pm
Golf Central Live From The Open 2-4pm
Golf Central Live From The Open 6-7pm
NASCAR: Weekend schedule for NASCAR Cup, Xfinity at New Hampshire.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/Getty Images)
NASCAR returns this weekend to the 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series will race there.Matt Kenseth is the defending winner of the Cup race, while Kevin Harvick won last fall’s playoff race there.
Kyle Busch won last year’s Xfinity race at New Hampshire.
This will be the 45th Cup race and 31st Xfinity race to be held at the track in bucolic Loudon, New Hampshire.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend. Its next race is July 19 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, the series’ only event on a dirt track.
Here’s the weekend schedule at NHMS:
(All times Eastern)
FRIDAY, JULY 14
9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Cup garage open
10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Xfinity garage open
11:30 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. – Cup practice (NBCSN joins at 11:45 a.m.)
1 p.m. – 1:55 p.m. – Xfinity practice (NBCSN)
3 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBCSN)
4:45 p.m. – Cup qualifying (multi-vehicle, three rounds) (NBCSN, Performance Racing Network)
SATURDAY, JULY 15
7:30 a.m. – Xfinity garage open
7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Cup garage open
10 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. – Cup practice (NBC Sports App)
11:05 a.m. – Xfinity qualifying (multi-vehicle, three rounds) (CNBC)
12:30 p.m. – 1: 25 p.m. – Final Cup practice (NBCSN)
1:30 p.m. – Driver/crew chief meeting
3:30 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions
4 pm. – Overton’s 200 Xfinity race (200 laps, 211.6 miles) (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
SUNDAY, JULY 16
9:30 a.m. – Cup garage open
1 p.m. – Driver/crew chief meeting
2:20 p.m. – Cup driver introductions
3 p.m. – Overton’s 301 Cup race (301 laps, 318.46 miles) (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Kurt Busch hopes to revisit early career success this weekend at Loudon.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
New Hampshire Motor Speedway was one of Kurt Busch’s go-to tracks early in his career.
He won his first race ever there – in a Camping World Series truck in 2000 – and then went on to earn three NASCAR Cup wins (back-to-back races in 2004 and a third triumph in 2008).
“When you’re able to go to a track where you’ve had that kind of success, it just gives you confidence,” Busch said. “Because of the wins and everything, it’s a place we go to where I feel like I especially know what it takes from the car and the driver to be successful.”
But since his 2008 Cup win, Busch has struggled more often than had success at the 1.058-mile flat track in bucolic Loudon, N.H.
In the 12 NASCAR Cup races at NHMS since his last top five there (third in summer 2010) through this race last summer, Busch’s best showing was 10th (twice). On the flip side, he also recorded six finishes of 20th or worse in that same stretch.
But things may be turning around for Busch, who races in Sunday’s Overton’s 301 at NHMS. In his most recent visit to the track, last fall’s playoff race, Busch finished fifth – his best finish since that third-place showing in 2010.
Busch looks forward to continuing his recent success at New Hampshire, and if it means tight racing and the kind of fender banging that’s typical at New Hampshire, Busch is ready to get it on.
“Usually, you’re trying to keep your eye on the main prize, which is victory lane at the end of the day,” Busch said. “If you have a run-in early on in the race, that guy is going to be trying to find you or you’re looking over your shoulder.
“So if you can sort of hit a reset button and right a mistake, you do that, but not at the expense of taking yourself out of position for the win.”
In addition, Busch also has two runner-ups, seven top threes, eight top fives and 13 top 10s. He has also led 541 laps in 32 starts at NHMS. His average start is 11.8, average finish is 15.8 and his lap completion rate is 96 percent.
Thus far this season, Busch has one win – the season-opening Daytona 500 – as well as two top-fives and eight top-10s in the first 18 races on the NASCAR Cup schedule.
Busch comes into Sunday’s race ranked 15th in the NASCAR Cup standings. He’s struggled in his last two starts (Daytona, 28th, crash; Kentucky, 30th, engine) and has three DNFs in his last six starts (Dover, 37th, crash).
The key to success at New Hampshire will be to stay alert for wrecks unfolding in front of you, stay out of trouble and especially stay on top in late restarts.
“It seems like it has changed a little bit toward the end of the race with a lot of aggressive restarts,” Busch said. “That is when you gain positions, or it’s easy to lose positions.
“Everybody is out there elbows out, pushing hard, and you hope to not have trouble.”
Brent Dewar promoted to fourth President in NASCAR history.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/NASCAR)
Brent Dewar on Thursday was promoted to President of NASCAR, effective immediately, the sanctioning body announced.
Dewar, who has served as NASCAR’s Chief Operating Officer since joining the sanctioning body in 2014, becomes only the fourth president in NASCAR history.
“Brent has helped lead a cultural transformation at NASCAR,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said in a media release. “From collaborating with team owners to building the charter framework; to partnering with tracks, auto manufacturers, entitlement sponsors, and broadcasters to deliver better racing and a more dynamic fan experience; he has spearheaded some of the most impactful enhancements NASCAR has implemented in its history.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled about the impact Brent has had on our industry and I am confident he will continue to help serve and grow our sport for many years to come.”
In his new role, Dewar will continue to serve on the NASCAR Board of Directors. He’ll also continue working with International Speedway Corporation President Lesa France Kennedy, Brian France and NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton in setting the strategic course of the sport and sanctioning body.
Steve Phelps, Executive Vice President and Chief Global Sales and Marketing Officer, Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer will continue to report to Dewar.
Dewar, who is active on Twitter (@BrentDewar), joined NASCAR after three decades as a global automotive executive, including assignments in North and South America, Brazil and Europe.
SOCCER: Fire Talk Podcast: Are the Fire the best team in MLS?
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Shane Murray (MLSsoccer.com) and Dan Santaromita catch up on the latest news around the Fire while the team is on break for the Gold Cup.
They debate if the Fire are the best team in MLS and talk about the latest transfer rumors. Will the Fire add Colombian playmaker Juan Quintero?
Hear from David Accam, who talked after training about getting back from a few days off and what he thought of his time with Ghana.
Finally, Dan and Shane talk about Dax McCarty's chances of breaking in with the U.S. national team during the Gold Cup and answer fans questions about what moves the team can make in the summer.
Listen to the full episode at this link.
David Accam happy for recent break after busy stretch with Ghana and the Fire.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
After a busy couple of weeks, David Accam was happy for the break he and his Chicago Fire teammates got.
Accam played a pair of friendlies with the Ghanaian national team, June 28 vs. Mexico in Houston and July 1 vs. the U.S. in East Hartford, Connecticut, before rejoining the Fire for a match in Portland on July 5.
Accam played a pair of friendlies with the Ghanaian national team, June 28 vs. Mexico in Houston and July 1 vs. the U.S. in East Hartford, Connecticut, before rejoining the Fire for a match in Portland on July 5.
With Ghana, Accam came off the bench and played 31 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Mexico. He started, but was subbed out at halftime against the U.S. in a 2-1 American win. Then Accam traveled from East Coast to West Coast to play in Portland.
After earning a tough draw in Portland, the Fire were off from training for six days.
“I went out with my friends, just taking it easy with my friends and family,” Accam said. “I didn’t do much. I just wanted to rest and hang out with my friends and family.”
The Fire returned to training on Wednesday in a session that didn’t feature Bastian Schweinsteiger, Nemanja Nikolic or even coach Veljko Paunovic, who was in Tampa for league competition meetings.
“You want to be playing every time, but also the break is good,” Accam said. "Everyone is happy to come back with more energy.”
Accam’s time with Ghana wasn’t a resounding success. Not only did the team lose both games, but Accam failed to make a significant impression individually.
Even during arguably the best year of his club career, Accam hasn’t been called in consistently to the national team. He was not on the roster for the 2017 African Cup of Nations, which took place in January and February, and was only a late addition to the roster for the two recent friendlies.
When asked how his recent time with Ghana went, Accam wasn’t speaking in glowing terms.
“It was OK,” he said. “To be fair, we lost both games and for me I was happy to be playing with the national team also and I saw some of my friends so it was good.”
With the Fire, Accam has 10 goals, tied for fifth most in the league, and seven assists, also tied for fifth most. Those kind of numbers make it seem likely he will join Schweinsteiger and Nikolic in the MLS All-Star Game at Soldier Field, but Accam wasn’t ready to predict his chances of getting the nod.
“I don’t know,” he said. “For me, I’m playing well. I’m doing well for the team and if I get in, it’s a bonus. If I don’t, nothing changes. I think I’ve done enough to get in, so I’ll just wait and see what happens.”
The rest of the MLS All-Star roster is expected to come out later in mid-July.
The rest of the MLS All-Star roster is expected to come out later in mid-July.
Morris brace saves USMNT in 3-2 win over Martinique.
By Nicholas Mendola
(AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jordan Morris snapped out of his slump in a big way, bagging his third and fourth USMNT goals in a 3-2 win over game Martinique on Wednesday in Tampa.
Kevin Parsemain and Johan Audel scored Martinique’s goals.
Kevin Parsemain and Johan Audel scored Martinique’s goals.
The USMNT joins Panama on four points atop Group B, with Martinique third with three points and Nicaragua fourth with zero.
It was not a banner night for the U.S., but at least it carried entertainment.
While the Yanks weren’t exactly troubled in the first half, they looked almost even money to give up the game’s first goal if not for Brad Guzan heroics late in the first half. Those worried about the Yanks’ depth were feeling justified.
Paul Arriola looked set to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead within minutes of halftime, only to be denied by Les Matinino backstop Kevin Olimpa.
If you had Gonzalez in the 53rd minute as the first goal against Martinique, congrats.
Arriola had another prime chance stopped, and then lashed the shot on goal that rebounded to Gonzalez for the opener.
Morris then scored a rare left-footed goal, snapping out of a slump for club and country when he turned Eric Lichaj‘s pass in front of a lethargic Olimpa. It was another play started by Arriola.
The 2-0 lead wouldn’t last long, as former Seattle Sounders man Kevin Parsemain snapped a 20-yard shot beyond Guzan, who was slow to get low.
But Morris scored a far better goal to make it 3-2, belting a shot to the left of a diving Olimpa to make it five goals in 22 minutes.
But Morris scored a far better goal to make it 3-2, belting a shot to the left of a diving Olimpa to make it five goals in 22 minutes.
Premier League clubs begin busy preseason schedules.
By Joe Prince-Wright
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Most of the running tests are out of the way and now managers and players are getting down to business.
The preseason games ahead of the 2017-18 Premier League campaign are about to come thick and fast.
Below is a look at the games for all 20 Premier League games this weekend and next (with the results of the opening preseason games also listed for each club) with plenty of teams playing at least two games as their preparations are cranked up a few notches, with plenty more games on the way in late July and early August.
Bonus: Manchester United, Manchester City, Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur will all play in the USA in the coming days.
Arsenal
Below is a look at the games for all 20 Premier League games this weekend and next (with the results of the opening preseason games also listed for each club) with plenty of teams playing at least two games as their preparations are cranked up a few notches, with plenty more games on the way in late July and early August.
Bonus: Manchester United, Manchester City, Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur will all play in the USA in the coming days.
Arsenal
12 July: Sydney FC 0-2 Arsenal – Recap & video
15 July v Western Sydney Wanderers, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Details
19 July v Bayern Munich (Shanghai Stadium) International Champions Cup Details
22 July v Chelsea (Bird’s Nest Stadium, Beijing) Details
Bournemouth
15 July v Estoril Praia, Stadium Municipal, Marbella Details
22 July v Portsmouth, Fratton Park, Portsmouth Details
Brighton
14 July v Fortuna Dusseldorf, Sportplatz St Ulrich, Austria Details
22 July v Crawley Town, Checkatrade.com Stadium, Crawley
Burnley
14 July v Shamrock Rovers, Tallaght Stadium, Dublin Details
22 July v Kidderminster Harriers Details
22 July v Alfreton Town Details
Chelsea
22 July v Arsenal, Bird’s Nest Stadium, Beijing Details
Crystal Palace
15 July v Maidstone United, Gallagher Stadium, Maidstone Details
19 July v Liverpool, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
22 July v West Brom/Leicester City, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
Everton
13 July: Gor Mahia FC 1-2 Everton – Video & recap
19 July v FC Twente, SV De Lutte, Overijssel Details
22 July v KRC Genk, Luminus Arena, Genk Details
Huddersfield Town
12 July: Accrington Stanley 0-1 Huddersfield
16 July v Bury, Gigg Lane Details
22 July v Barnsley, Oakwell, Barnsley Details
Leicester City
19 July v West Brom, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
22 July v Crystal Palace/Liverpool, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
Liverpool
12 July: Tranmere Rovers 0-4 Liverpool
14 July v Wigan Athletic, DW Stadium, Wigan Details
19 July v Crystal Palace, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
22 July v West Brom/Leicester City, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
Manchester City
20 July v Manchester United, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas (International Champions Cup) Details
Manchester United
15 July v LA Galaxy, Stubhub Centre, Los Angeles Details
17 July v Real Salt Lake, Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah Details
20 July v Manchester City, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas (International Champions Cup) Details
Newcastle United
14 July v Heart of Midlothian, Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh Details
22 July v Preston North End, Deepdale, Preston Details
Southampton
15 July v St Gallen, Goldach, Swwitzerland
22 July v Brentford, Griffin Park, Brentford Details
Stoke City
10 July: Neuchatel Xamax 0-1 Stoke City
12 July: Young Boys Bern 2-2 Stoke City (Stoke win 3-4 on pens)
15 July v AS Monaco, Neutral venue, Martigny, Switzerland Details
22 July v Amiens, Stade de la Licorne Details
Swansea City
12 July: Barnet 1-0 Swansea City
15 July v Philadelphia Union, Philadelphia, US Details
19 July v Richmond Kickers, Richmond, US Details
22 July v North Carolina, Sahlen’s Stadium, US Details
Tottenham Hotspur
22 July v Paris Saint-Germain, Camping World Stadium, Orlando (International Champions Cup) Details
Watford
15 July v AFC Wimbledon, Cherry Red Records Stadium, Kingston Upon Thames Details
18 July v Viktoria Plzen, TBC, Austria Details
22 July v SD Eibar, TBC, Austria Details
West Bromwich Albion
19 July v Leicester City, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
22 July v Crystal Palace/Liverpool, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong (PL Asia Trophy) Details
West Ham United
No games in next 10 days, first preseason friendly on July 28
28 July v Werder Bremen, Osterwald Stadion, Schneverdingen (Betway Cup) Details
Man United named most valuable team in the world. (You mean most valuable soccer team in the world, #3 overall).
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Manchester United are sitting atop the soccer world once again.
At least, in terms of financial value… Sorry, Jose, you still have quite a bit of work to do at Old Trafford on the pitch.
Off the pitch the Red Devils were named the most valuable soccer team on the planet by Forbes Magazine, as they moved ahead of Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid with Man United worth an estimated $3.69 billion.
That’s an 11 percent increase, the biggest rise in the top 10, on last year and they’re the third most valuable sports team overall.
The NFL dominated the top 50 list with 29 teams included as the Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports team on the planet at $4.2 billion and Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees came in second at $3.7 billion.
Below is a look at the top 10 overall sports teams with teams from the NFL, MLB, NBA and the soccer world all making the top 50 and seven soccer teams were in the top 50.
Four Premier League teams made the list with Manchester City at 35th with a value of $2.083 billion, Arsenal in 43rd at $1.93 billion and Chelsea in 45th at $1.84 billion. Bayern Munich were the only other soccer team to make the top 50 at 15th with a value of $2.71 billion.
Forbes’ top 10 most valuable teams
That’s an 11 percent increase, the biggest rise in the top 10, on last year and they’re the third most valuable sports team overall.
The NFL dominated the top 50 list with 29 teams included as the Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports team on the planet at $4.2 billion and Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees came in second at $3.7 billion.
Below is a look at the top 10 overall sports teams with teams from the NFL, MLB, NBA and the soccer world all making the top 50 and seven soccer teams were in the top 50.
Four Premier League teams made the list with Manchester City at 35th with a value of $2.083 billion, Arsenal in 43rd at $1.93 billion and Chelsea in 45th at $1.84 billion. Bayern Munich were the only other soccer team to make the top 50 at 15th with a value of $2.71 billion.
Forbes’ top 10 most valuable teams
1. Dallas Cowboys – $4.2 billion
2. New York Yankees – $3.7 billion
3. Manchester United – $3.69 billion
4. Barcelona – $3.64 billion
5. Real Madrid – $3.58 billion
6. New England Patriots – $3.4 billion
7. New York Knicks – $3.3 billion
8. New York Giants – $3.1 billion
9. San Francisco 49ers – $3 billion
10. Los Angeles Lakers – $3 billion
15. Bayern Munich – $2.71 billion
35. Manchester City – $2.083 billion
43. Arsenal – $1.93 billion
45. Chelsea – $1.84 billion
2. New York Yankees – $3.7 billion
3. Manchester United – $3.69 billion
4. Barcelona – $3.64 billion
5. Real Madrid – $3.58 billion
6. New England Patriots – $3.4 billion
7. New York Knicks – $3.3 billion
8. New York Giants – $3.1 billion
9. San Francisco 49ers – $3 billion
10. Los Angeles Lakers – $3 billion
15. Bayern Munich – $2.71 billion
35. Manchester City – $2.083 billion
43. Arsenal – $1.93 billion
45. Chelsea – $1.84 billion
NCAAFB: Kevin Sumlin downplays hot seat in College Station: “I’m feeling the same pressure I feel all of the time”.
By Bryan Fischer
(Photo/Getty Images)
We’ve had an unusually low number of coaching changes the past few years in the SEC but the flip side of that storyline is that a good quarter of the league enters the 2017 season firmly on the hot seat at their respective schools.
“I’m feeling the same pressure I feel all of the time and so nobody puts more pressure on me than me,” said Sumlin. “That pressure, it never changed. It never changed from the first day I got here when we opened with Florida and lost and then went on to win however many games we won or whatever happens. We’re here to compete for championships. How we do that, when we do that, basically, the why, with and how, that remains internal, but that’s my job. And the pressure for that never changes.”
While that is a little bit of coach speak, it does seem like Sumlin is well aware of what expectations are for the Aggies and what he’ll need to do in order to keep his high-paying job beyond 2017.
Nick Saban says Florida State is built like Alabama.
By Kevin McGuire
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The 2017 college football season is kicking off with a mega matchup between Alabama and Florida State. Some are already suggesting the two could be the top two teams in the preseason polls, but we will find out later this summer if that will be accurate. Regardless, the way Jimbo Fisher has constructed Florida State since taking over for Bobby Bowden as the head coach of the Seminoles has drawn plenty of praise, which is to be expected given he has coached a national championship team and a College Football Playoff contestant with a Heisman Trophy winner along the way. On Wednesday at SEC media days, Fisher and Florida State received praise from his former boss, Nick Saban.
The comparisons connecting Florida State to a SEC team have been made before over the years. The Seminoles traditionally recruit very well in a region that is otherwise flooded by SEC schools filling up their rosters with prime talent. There is a reason Florida State has routinely been one of the top ACC programs on an annual basis. In recent years, Clemson has been worthy of similar praise.
Saban is always one to sprinkle praise on his opponents while bringing his own team’s hype level down as much as he can. That’s just what coaches do. And Saban will always throw out compliments to his former assistants. Fisher coached under Saban at LSU before getting to Florida State. The two have never faced off against each other, and Saban has a clean record against his former assistants. By offering praise of Florida State, Saban is also sending a message to his team about just how difficult the season-opening opponent will be.
NCAABKB: College basketball needs a Heisman-eqsue player of the year award.
By Mike Rutherford
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(Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)
It isn't difficult to make the case that the Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in American sports. The distinction is the center of a year-round conversation that culminates with a two-hour presentation ceremony from New York that is hyped up and broadcast nationally by ESPN. Diehard and casual sports fans alike know the pose, they know the winners, and they know some one the big names who didn't get a chance to hoist the trophy and give a speech from the Downtown Athletic Club.
Having said all this, it's difficult to understand why college basketball — America's second-most popular amateur sport — doesn't have a decoration that is at least mildly comparable to the Heisman.
Having said all this, it's difficult to understand why college basketball — America's second-most popular amateur sport — doesn't have a decoration that is at least mildly comparable to the Heisman.
Even college baseball has the Golden Spikes Award, an honor that has, over time, risen above the hoard of other national player of the year awards associated with the sport. In basketball, there are currently six (previously seven) major national player of the year awards handed out on an annual basis, and while fans may be more familiar with some than others, no single award takes clear precedence above the others.
Since the turn of the century, 10 of the last 17 college hoops seasons have failed to produce a consensus national player of the year. We loved following and still love reminiscing about the memorable two-horse races between Denzel Valentine and Buddy Hield a couple years ago and between Adam Morrison and J.J. Redick in 2004-05. Ask us how it all turned out and we don't have an answer for you. That's because there isn't a clear answer to give. Redick and Morrison shared both the Oscar Robertson and NABC Player of the Year awards. Hield took home the Wooden and Naismith awards, while Valentine was named the sport's top performer by both the NABC and the Associated Press.
The sad fact is that the prime function college basketball's mythical national player of the year award serves is as an in-season debate piece. We discuss the “player of the year race” as if the road will end with some grand, satisfying conclusion. We debate the candidates from day one of the season through the first Monday in April, but there's never a “this is the night we find out” crescendo. In fact, the number of people who can tell you when the various player of the year awards are announced are likely limited to the same number who can tell you all the teams in the Horizon and Summit leagues. Even they might get a little confused if you put them on the spot.
The AP Player of the Year award is handed out just before the Final Four. The Naismith Award is announced during the Final Four. The Wooden Award gets presented after the Final Four. Those previously unaware of these facts have a more-than-valid excuse. There are no television specials for these awards, no round-the-clock media attention devoted to who is going to win. The announcements are made in the shadow of a much larger event, and wind up falling into the same pile of clutter that includes spring coaching firings and early NBA draft declarations.
College basketball's current player of the year setup is confusing, and that confusion has resulted in disinterest. Perhaps not when it comes to in-season discussion of a non-existent singular honor, but as far as the outcome of the actual awards and their lasting memory are concerned, there is a notable lack of awareness. Even the average sports fan who prefers the hardwood to the gridiron is more likely to be able to recite the names of the last five Heisman Trophy winners than the last five Wooden/Naismith/AP/Whatever award winners.
So what's the fix here? Unification? Convincing five of the awards to gracefully bow out? The creation of a new, super award? None of those ideas seem likely to sprout to existence, which leaves only the NCAA, college basketball fans, and college basketball media coming together to tout one of the six awards as superior to its brethren. How exactly to make that happen is a separate issue entirely, but some sort of televised special on a major network would seem to be a productive first step.
All this may seem trivial, but college basketball has more of a problem with star power than any other major sport in America. The establishing of a supreme individual honor that demands both in-season and preseason conversation as well as a satisfying crescendo wouldn't solve the problem entirely, but it would certainly help.
All this may seem trivial, but college basketball has more of a problem with star power than any other major sport in America. The establishing of a supreme individual honor that demands both in-season and preseason conversation as well as a satisfying crescendo wouldn't solve the problem entirely, but it would certainly help.
Venus Williams defies age, into Wimbledon final for 9th time.
By Associated Press
(Photo/AP)
All these years later, Wimbledon still brings out the best in Venus Williams.
At 37, Williams is the oldest Wimbledon finalist since Martina Navratilova was the 1994 runner-up at that age.
Williams also stopped Konta’s bid to become the first woman from Britain in 40 years to win the country’s Grand Slam tournament.
“I couldn’t have asked for more, but I’ll ask for a little more. One more win would be amazing,” Williams said. “It won’t be a given, but I’m going to give it my all.”
She will be seeking her sixth Wimbledon championship and eighth Grand Slam singles trophy overall. Her most recent came in 2008, when she defeated her younger sister, Serena Williams, for the title at the All England Club. A year later, she lost the final to Serena.
In the time since, Williams revealed that she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, which can sap energy and cause joint pain. As time went on, there were questions about whether she might retire, especially after a half-dozen first-round losses at major tournaments. But she kept on going, and lately has returned to winning.
Her resurgence began in earnest at Wimbledon a year ago, when she made it to the semifinals. Then, at the Australian Open in January, Williams reached the final, where she lost to — yes, you guessed it — her sister. Serena is off the tour for the rest of this year because she is pregnant.
“I missed her so much before this match. And I was like, ‘I just wish she was here.’ And I was like, ‘I wish she could do this for me,’” Williams said with a laugh. “And I was like, ‘No, this time you have to do it for yourself.’ So here we are.”
On Saturday, the 10th-seeded American will participate in her second Grand Slam final of the season, and 16th of her career, this time against 14th-seeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain.
“She knows how to play, especially Wimbledon finals,” Muguruza, the 2015 Wimbledon runner-up and 2016 French Open champion, said about Williams. “It’s going to be, like, a historic final again.”
Muguruza overwhelmed 87th-ranked Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-1 in the earlier semifinal.
Williams arrived in England a few weeks after being involved in a two-car accident in Florida; not long afterward, a passenger in the other vehicle died. At her initial news conference at Wimbledon, a tearful Williams briefly left the room to compose herself after being asked about the crash.
She has tried, coach David Witt said, to “just focus on the tennis.”
In the semifinals, it was Konta who had the first chance to nose ahead, a point from serving from the opening set when it was 4-all and Williams was serving down 15-40.
Williams erased the first break point with a backhand winner down the line, and the second with a 106 mph second serve that went right at Konta’s body. It was a risky strategy, going for so much pace on a second serve, but it worked. That opened a run in which Williams won 12 of 13 points.
“She looks to dictate from the very first ball,” Konta said. “When she puts herself in a position to do that, she plays with a lot of depth, a lot of speed, and you don’t get much of a chance to get your, I guess, grip into the points.”
Williams wouldn’t face another break point and, later, produced another impressive second serve — in the second set, at 103 mph, it went right at Konta, who jumped out of the way.
Konta played quite well, especially early, and finished with more winners, 20 to 19, each greeted by roars from the Centre Court spectators.
“They could have really been even more boisterous. I thought the crowd was so fair. And I know that they love Jo, and she gave it her all today,” Williams said. “It’s a lot of pressure. It’s a lot of pressure. I thought she handled it well. I think my experience just helped a lot.”
This was her 10th semifinal in 20 Wimbledon appearances; Konta had never been past the second round at the grass-court tournament before this year.
In the other semifinal, Muguruza won 15 of the first 20 points en route to a 5-0 lead. Even though Rybarikova entered having won 18 of her past 19 grass-court matches, mostly at lower-level tournaments, she suddenly looked a lot more like someone whose career record at Wimbledon before last week was 2-9.
“Not my best day,” Rybarikova said. “But she didn’t give me much chance to do something.”
Muguruza won the point on 19 of 25 trips to the net and had a 22-8 edge in winners.
That earned the 23-year-old Muguruza a berth in her third career Grand Slam final, second at the All England Club. She lost to Serena Williams with the title on the line at Wimbledon in 2015, then beat her at Roland Garros last year.
“I’ll have to ask Serena for some pointers,” Venus Williams said. “Serena’s always in my corner. And usually it’s her in these finals, so I’m trying my best to represent ‘Williams’ as best as I can.”
2017 Stage 12 Tour de France Summary
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On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, July 14, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1951 - The first sports event to be shown in color, on CBS-TV, was the Molly Pitcher Handicap at Oceanport, NJ.
1967 - Eddie Mathews (Houston Astros) hit his 500th career home run.
1968 - Hank Aaron (Atlanta Braves) hit his 500th career home run.
1969 - U.S. President Nixon signed a baseball from the baseball Hall of Fame that had the signatures of nine other U.S. Presidents.
1970 - U.S. President Nixon threw out the first ball at the major league baseball All-Star Game.
1981 - The All-Star Game was postponed because of a 33-day-old baseball players strike. The game was held on August 9.
1981 - U.S. President Reagan met with Willie Stargell (Pittsburgh Pirates) to discuss sickle cell anemia and funding for the National Institute of Health.
1967 - Eddie Mathews (Houston Astros) hit his 500th career home run.
1968 - Hank Aaron (Atlanta Braves) hit his 500th career home run.
1969 - U.S. President Nixon signed a baseball from the baseball Hall of Fame that had the signatures of nine other U.S. Presidents.
1970 - U.S. President Nixon threw out the first ball at the major league baseball All-Star Game.
1981 - The All-Star Game was postponed because of a 33-day-old baseball players strike. The game was held on August 9.
1981 - U.S. President Reagan met with Willie Stargell (Pittsburgh Pirates) to discuss sickle cell anemia and funding for the National Institute of Health.
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